Color-related Idioms

• black
o black and blue - 1. bruised [from appearance]1
o black and white - 1. clearly distinct or different [as in "as different as black and
white"] 2. obvious and clear, as in print [as in "there it is, in black and white"]1
o black humor2
o black market2
o black out2 - 1. to lose consciousness1
o black sheep - 1. outcast, esp. of a family [as a single black sheep among a
family of white sheep]1
o black tie - 1. formal [from appropriate dress]1
o blackball2
o blacklist2
o blackout - 1. loss of electricity4
o blackmail2 - 1. to use detrimental information as leverage in controlling the
actions (often extorting payment) of others1
o in the black2
o the pot calling the kettle black - 1. a worse offender [citing the guilt of] a lesser
offender4
• blue
o blue - sad3
o blue blood2 - 1. royal, regal1
o blue funk2 - 1. very depressed [as in "she was in a blue funk"]4
o blue law2
o blue Monday2
o blue movies - 1. movies with explicit sex3
o blue print2
o blue ribbon2 - 1. first rate [from the customary award given for first place]1
o blue stocking2
o blue streak2
o blue-collar workers - 1. laborers3
o blue-pencil2
o once in a blue moon2
o out of the blue2
o sing the blues; have the blues2
o true blue2
• brown
o brown out - 1. partial loss of electricity1
o brown nose - 1. slightly vulgar, refers to flattering someone in a position of
power in order to obtain favors4
o in a brown study - 1. seriously contemplating something4
• gray
o gray area - 1. a context or section, as of a law, which is easily disputable; a
"murky area"7
o gray matter - 1. brain (the organ) 2. intelligence1
• green
o chiste verde ("green joke") - 1. In Spanish, a dirty joke3
o green around the gills2
 o green light2
o green with envy2
o having a green thumb - 1. able to make plants grow well4
o Things are starting to green up around here - 1. Spring has arrived [the color of
new vegetation that comes with spring]4
• pink
o in the pink2
o pink lady - 1. an alcoholic drink4
o pink-collar workers - 1. office workers, esp. women3
o pinkies - 1. the little fingers4
o tickled pink2
• purple
o born to the purple2
o purple passion2
o purple prose2
• red
o in the red2
o one red cent2
o red eye2
o red flag2
o red herring - 1. a topic thrown into a discussion in order to mislead4
o red hot - 1. exciting4
o red hots - 1. small spicy candies4
o red meat - 1. beef4
o red neck2
o red tape - 1. bureaucratic seemingly time-wasting paperwork.6
o red-faced - 1. embarrassed3
o red-handed - 1. in the middle of the act1
o red-letter day2
o roll out the red carpet2
o to see red2
• rose
o rose-colored glasses2
o rosy2
• white
o white as a sheet - 1. pale, frightened4
o white elephant2
o white flag2
o white heat2
o white lie2
o white paper2
o white tie2
o white-collar workers - 1. management3
o whitewash2
• yellow
o yellow - cowardly4
o yellow journalism2
o "Yellow Peril" - 1. the (quite exaggerated) fear of the large population of China
and its population growth rate.5
o yellow-dog2
o to have a yellow streak down one's back - 1. cowardly3